


The Fog

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Horror, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 02:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12572176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: When the fog came to our town, we heeded the warnings and gathered every day to count our numbers.How proud we were after a week with no one taken.How proud after a month with all of us accounted for.Inspired by the story from shorteststory.comHappy Halloween!





	The Fog

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the story from shorteststory.com
> 
> Original post can be found [here!](https://shorteststory.tumblr.com/post/163990434860/the-fog#notes)
> 
> Enjoy your Halloween everyone!

The bells echoed through the town long before anything crossed the horizon, but that didn’t stop Keith from looking towards the sky.

“You’re not afraid, are you princess?” Lance said, but the journalist’s porcelain smile was chipped around the edges.

“I still don’t think it’s real,” Grumbled Pidge from behind the counter of her father’s general store. She still needed a stool to reach its edge, which was where Lance had very unhelpfully placed his wares. This time, she seemed far too preoccupied to bear her grudge, especially with Matt there to nudge everything into arm’s reach. She didn’t notice. The sky left her staring, a friendly summer blue, without a cloud for miles.

They’d all heard the rumors. The disappearances, the tragedies. The fog was coming. It rose up from the coast with the morning dew, but not even the brightest days could dispel it. It spread through the land, moving from town after town like a plague. Some it left unharmed. Others were not so lucky.

“Town meeting in an hour.” Shiro reminded sharply, but Lance waved off the teacher, already halfway out the door, only half of what he’d come for tucked under his arm. They all knew his mind was already at the florists, as if Hunk could have missed the bell. They would see each other at the count.

They needed to.

Keith watched the door, a pit slowly deepening in the center of his belly. They would take precautions. They would head the warnings. They would do better, be better than the others before them. His friends would be fine.

Yet he thought back to his empty home, with the windows only partially boarded up and cellar still under-stocked. Would he have time to finish his fortifications, or was it a lost cause?

A heavy arm dropped on his shoulder, the weight of metal nearly knocking him off-kilter. Keith looked up with a scowl, but Shiro was grinning and they both knew he wasn’t as annoyed as he could be. “I have a favor to ask,” he said, as if Keith would ever turn him down, and even with his stomach trying to fall in on itself, Keith felt his heart soar. “You think you could spend a couple of nights at my place? I just… I don’t like the idea of being alone.”

“I-I… Yeah, of course.” Keith stammered, feeling his cheeks heat even as certainty settled on his bones. If Shiro needed help, he’d have jumped at anything. Of course he’d frame it that way, knowing Keith would never turn him down. Like Shiro always said, they could get through anything together. He tucked himself into Shiro’s side, sharing warmth and the thrill of touch.

“C’mon.” Matt wiped his hands on a towel and stepped out from behind the counter, gesturing for his sister to follow. “We should get to Town Hall, the mayor is going to start soon. I don’t want to be late.”

Matt was right to worry. They’d never seen so many people at once.

“Everyone calm down, please!” Mayor Allura said, addressing the crowed squeezed into largest meeting room available. Everyone was present, Sheriff Coran and his deputies had knocked on every house to make sure the entire town would attend. Shiro leaned against the wall towards the back, his arm slung around Keith’s shoulders in a casual intimacy that made them both hyper aware of each other’s presence. The crowd’s chatter died away as Allura held up her hands for attention.

“Friends, I know many of you are worried about the changing weather. The reports we’ve received from down the coast are troubling, but we’ve come up with a plan to keep everyone safe and to make sure that we get through this. We’re instituting a count of people every day once the fog rolls in. We will ring the bells at noon, so please make your way to the center of town to be counted. Stay together, there’s safety in numbers, and don’t panic. There’s no reason to worry as long as we stay calm.”

It was enough to quell some of the more frantic protests, but a different sort of tension simply rushed in to replace it, this time, carried on a whisper not a scream.

“I don’t like this,” Hunk mumbled, worrying his nimble hands together. Like the memory of a summer day refused to leave him, the smell of fresh honeysuckle always seemed to follow him in its wake, much link ink stains followed his reporter friend’s fingertips. Even now Lance tried to catch the latest scoop, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he scribbled furiously in his notepad. Sometimes Keith just didn’t understand why. Who’d be interested in reading the paper when the entire town was already part of the story?

“No one likes it,” Keith agreed, not unkindly. “Are you staying with anyone?”

Hunk nodded. “Shay’s family want us over. It’ll be a bit tight for a while, but how long can it last?”

“Better safe than sorry.”

The town had taken the warning to heart. Keith could count on one hand all the times he’d attended a town assembly, and none had ever been so crowded. It was the first time Keith had seen Allura’s father, Mr. Alfor, without a stack of library books to tend. Even the mechanics on South St. had made the trek into town. When Nyma caught him staring she winked, and Keith scowled darkly. Beside him, Shiro snickered. Keith had the good sense to be sheepish.

“We have to work together.” Mayor Allura went on. “None of us asked for this, but today, none of us can walk away. Care for your neighbor. Be a friend. This may be the most difficult thing any of us has ever encountered, but the only way we’ll get through this is together.”

For a moment, Allura won them peace.

Talk was subdued afterwards, but as they wandered out of the hall in groups. No one was left alone. Keith didn’t think that meant Shiro had to stand quite so close, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Should we just leave?” Keith asked, trying not to read too much into the way they leaned into each other. He was putting too much hope on the smallest things. “We could pack up a car and just go, find somewhere safer to be.”

“We’re going to be alright, a little bit of bad weather isn’t going to scare us out of our homes. Besides, we can help our friends.” Shiro was always so reassuring, though Keith wondered sometimes if he was truly so calm or if he stayed because he felt like he had to help others. It didn’t matter either way, he was right. They couldn’t just leave everyone to fend for themselves, especially when they’d make it through just fine.

And he could spend the time with Shiro. Was it wrong to look forward to a storm if it meant nights alone with his best friend, away from their own responsibilities and the nosy gossip of their neighbors? Keith couldn’t regret any of this.

Feeling bold, he laced his fingers with Shiro’s, telling himself it was a way to support his friend. When Shiro’s smile brightened, Keith felt his heart flutter against his ribs. If he’d been any braver, he might have stretched up to his toes and tried to steal that smile with a kiss.

Maybe soon. There’d be time enough to try.

 

* * *

 

The fog rolled in early before the sun had fully broken the horizon. It swallowed the morning light, casting shifting grey shadows across the town. The residents gathered together, their preparations complete and their homes secure. They had promised to protect each other and faced the fog without fear.

“Coffee?” Shiro asked as they joined the rest of the town in the General Store, the unofficial shelter from the oppressive gloom outside. Keith made a soft noise and Shiro pressed a cup into his hands.

“What do you think it is?” He asked, glancing over to where Lance and Hunk had pressed their faces up against the glass. It looked like things were moving out there, swirling through the fog just out of sight.

“I think it might be some kind of sentient space creature, but like, in gas form.” Lance said, a bit too excited at the thought of unraveling this mystery. “Maybe it’s hungry and wants to eat us all!”

Hunk looked a bit green, but Lance chuckled. Hunk slapped his friend on the back so hard, he smacked his face against the glass.

“Don’t worry, even if it is, I’m sure you could tempt it with a good lasagna. No one’s ever been able to resist your lasagna and it tastes way better than people do!” Lance said, rubbing his face. “I’m just saying, it’s an idea. We shouldn’t count it out.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll be safe as long as we stay together and don’t panic.” Shiro said, ever the voice of reason. “We’ve prepared for this, we know the plan. If we’re lucky, we’ll only have to go through this for a few days before it moves on. There’s no reason to panic.”

No one protested, stubbornness as much as bravery silencing every complaint. They watched the fog for a moment longer, and though no one admitted it, they were all waiting for something to happen.

Nothing did.

One by one, they wandered away. There were stores to open, chores to do, children to corral with school closed for the weather. They were careful not to leave alone, and when Keith could dawdle no longer, he found Shiro nudging his way against his side.

“Let me walk you to the shop.” He offered before Keith could say anything. “It’s better not to go alone.”

“But then who’ll walk with you?” Keith asked, brows furrowed, but Shiro only shrugged.

“I guess I’ll have to stay a while.”

He didn’t look the slightest bit sorry.

When the bells rang at noon, they left the repair shop together.

One by one, the townsfolk gathered, and one by one they were counted. When all was said and done, they were pleased that they’d found their way through the fog. They were cautiously optimistic and left with more smiles than they’d arrived with. When Shiro had to go, Keith was more sad than worried.

They met at his home, arriving just seconds apart.

“I checked on the general store, the library, flower shop and post office on my way home. Everyone’s fine.” Shiro said.

“Did you come here alone?” Keith asked, his brows furrowed, and Shiro flushed.

“Only from down the street. I’m fine.”

Keith wasn’t satisfied, but Shiro was already talking about food, so he let it go. They would get through this. They promised.

The days passed. The bell rung. The fog didn’t lift.

But Keith had stolen a piece of sunshine in Shiro’s smile. It was hard to see how anything changed, aside from how he’d found an escort to work every morning. He’d never been a big fan of coffee, but Shiro was slowly changing his mind. They huddled together around the bar of the General Store, with Keith pouring packet after packet of sugar into his drink.

“Does that even taste like coffee?” Shiro asked, but he was smiling. Keith only shrugged.

“What’s taking so long?”

As if on cue, Pidge rushed in, a package under each arm. She shoved them unceremoniously under the counter, muttering an apology under her breath.

“Busy day?” Shiro asked as she leaned heavily on the counter and took a deep breath.

“You have no idea, I’m running around without my head on straight!” She complained. “This fog’s making everyone nervous, so everyone’s showin’ up here. Not that I blame them since we have the best coffee in town, but still. It’s hard to keep up with all the orders.” She gave them a tired smile and adjusted her glasses. Even at her tallest, she wasn’t able to easily reach across the too-tall counter and frowned.

“Hey Keith can you…” 

He turned to her, but Pidge had fallen silent, a peculiar expression on her face, like she was trying to look at the tip of her nose. Keith would’ve laughed, if she hadn’t looked so serious.

“Yeah?”

“No I just… Never mind.”

She was gone before he could ask. Keith tucked their payment under their empty mugs and waved goodbye. She gave them both a half-wave, distracted by something they couldn’t see. 

“She looks tired.” Keith fell into step beside Shiro. “You headed down Main St.?”

“I figure it might be best. Stick to the big roads. The sooner we get inside, the better. It might be more of a risk to just wander around while it’s this foggy out, someone might get lost.”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

Shiro laughed, a sound that warmed Keith down to his toes. “I promise I’m not going anywhere. Besides, I have you to watch out for me, right? We’ll keep each other safe.”

“You better not.” Keith grumbled, but he couldn’t muster any annoyance while he could push into Shiro’s space. Fog or no fog, nothing was going to ruin this perfect day.

They were careful. They were vigilant. But the fog was a funny thing. It never hurt, or stole or heaven forbid killed, but it was funny. It wasn’t always night, but it never quite felt like day. It was cold at noon, and thunder rumbled to storms that never came, and when lighting flashed - Keith didn’t like to think about when lighting flashed.

As soon as the bell tolled, they were up. Like most people, they were early on most days, eager even. They checked the general store, library and post office on their way over, always making their rounds and doing their part, but when they were strolling slowly towards town, Keith could admit it was just to enjoy the time spent together. Every minute was a gift and Keith didn’t know how he got so lucky. Shiro’d always been his best friend. To want any more was selfish, and yet Keith could never stop himself.

Maybe if he stopped thinking about Shiro he wouldn’t be so distracted.

"Dammit.” Keith swore under his breath, dropping his wrench. It fell with a clatter, and he jabbed his knuckle into his mouth, trying to ease the hurt where he’d smacked himself.

“Oh watch your head.” Someone called out, and suddenly there was a warm hand on his shoulder, gently easing him out from under the hood of his car. Shiro looked almost pleased.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Keith said, but it was hard to complain when Shiro hadn’t let go. Then Shiro’s smile turned teasing, and Keith huffed. “This wouldn’t happen if we had an actual mechanic in town.  _Dammit_.”

“Don’t go driving through this mess just to find one. You don’t know where you’ll end up.” Shiro warned, before sneaking a peak over Keith’s shoulder. “Are you sure this thing still runs anyway?”

“Ha.”

But Shiro was standing at an angle, his arm tucked behind his back, and when Keith looked around him, he stumbled. Keith quirked a brow.

Shiro laughed, dragging his heel across the dirt before sheepishly holding out a small bundle of gold flowers that had seen better days. “These are- oh. I didn’t mean to squish them.”

It was so unexpectedly sweet that Keith didn’t know how to respond, though it was Shiro’s expression that left him flustered. Hopeful, nervous, slightly embarrassed all hidden behind his smile. He took the slightly crushed flowers gently. “They’re pretty, thank you.”

“I just saw them sitting out on a table by the café and I thought of you.” Shiro rushed to explain, then hesitated. “Not that I wouldn’t buy you fancier flowers or something! If there was a flower shop, I’d have gotten you something special. Uh. If you liked flowers.”

Nothing ever rattled Shiro, it was so strange to see him off-balance, but Keith felt a burst of pride to know that  _he_  was the reason his best friend’s legendary control had frayed. “We don’t need a flower shop in town when you can find me ones like this.” He said and Shiro relaxed slightly.

“You know I-, I mean. I’m just glad that you’re staying with me.” Shiro meant more than what he said, at least Keith hoped that he did. It was easy to fill in the spaces between the words with his own longing.

 

* * *

 

Something was wrong with Lance. It wasn’t that Keith particularly cared much about Lance’s feelings, but he was moping exceedingly hard and it was impossible to miss.

“Everything okay?” He asked the reporter who just sighed.

“Fine. Just bored. This fog is slowing everything down, there hasn’t been anything to write in days.” Lance complained. “It’s just too quiet, how am I supposed to sell stories if everyone’s so boring?”

“That’s your problem?” Keith said flatly, regretting that he’d asked. “I’m sure it’ll be gone soon.”

Lance nodded and reached for his coffee, a second cup sitting forgotten by the empty chair beside him. “I hope so. I just miss having people to talk to.”

Keith wrinkled his brow, but Lance wasn’t even looking at him. It was strange to see him like this, quiet and withdrawn. Whatever their differences, Keith didn’t want him to get hurt. “So, go find them.”

Lance didn’t look particularly impressed.

“It’s what you do, right?” Keith asked, barreling forward despite Lance’s blank stare. “Get to the bottom of things. Find a story. Who else would if you don’t?”

Lance exhaled loudly, the air leaving him in a whoosh like a laugh that had forgotten what it was. “Yeah. I guess I do.” He got to his feet but not before downing the rest of his coffee, and offering Keith a tight smile. He looked a bit like his old self. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Keith said, the mayor’s words a gentle murmur at the back of his mind. The only way they were getting through this was together. As Lance turned, Keith spotted his beaten up old notepad, the pages just as smudged as they’d always been. “Hey you forgot this.”

He held it out to Lance, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Careful. Lose that and the fog takes it forever.”

Lance tensed.

Then he wrenched the notepad out of Keith’s arms and threw it to the ground with a snarl. He stomped it between his feet, lashing out like a man possessed. Keith jumped back in surprise. Behind the counter, Pidge froze, her eyes wide behind her glasses, and when Lance stopped, he looked just as stunned as they were.

“Sorry, I… s-sorry?”

Pidge moved out from behind the counter, brushing him off with the sort of jokes that stung, but she looked nervous. And if Keith could tell, she wasn’t hiding it at all.

In the corner of his vision, he thought he saw someone standing over Pidge’s shoulder, a tall hulking figure, reaching out. There was no one else in the store with them. 

Keith thought about it the entire walk home, but once he spotted the familiar light over their porch, he forgot what he was so worried about. Inside, Shiro was waiting for him. There was dinner on the table, clearly ordered from the little restaurant on the corner of Main and Shepard, because nothing was burned.

“Did you bring all this home alone?”

“Just from down the block, it was okay. The Sheriff walked with me through some of it.”

Keith sighed, but it was hard to protest on an empty stomach. 

“I ran into Lance earlier.” Keith said, when they were curled up on the couch together. Feet up on the table, dinner settled in their bellies, they left the rest of the town and its poisoned air behind. Shiro mumbled something, but he was tucked against Keith’s shoulder, slouched so low his chin was touching his chest, but when Keith risked a glance, his eyes were sleepy soft. Feeling bold, Keith reached across his side and gently smoothed back Shiro’s bangs. They flopped back into place almost immediately. Shiro didn’t seem to mind.

“He okay?” Shiro asked, more a mumble than anything else, and Keith’s heart squeezed in his chest, a sudden, hollow thud-dump that he felt all the way down to his toes.

“Not really. It’s getting to him a little, I think.” Keith’s voice was too husky, too low. It no longer sounded like his own, but Shiro just inched closer, rubbing his cheek against Keith’s sleeve. “I can’t wait until this is all over, and we can just - get out of here.”

“I know what you mean, like... Hey remember high school? Remember that road trip we were supposed to do?”

Keith hummed in agreement, wrapping an arm around Shiro and letting his eyes slide closed. It would be so easy to drift off like this, safe and warm against his best friends. The fog could last as long as it wanted to, none of that mattered in here. “We weren’t able to go, but we had the whole map planned out.” He said, dredging up the fuzzy memories. “Not sure where we were planning on going.”

“Yeah.” Shiro furrowed his brow trying to remember, but gave up after a moment. High school had been a lifetime ago, the only thing that mattered was this moment curled up together. “I just know I wanted to drive and keep going. The point was to spend the time with you.”

Keith flushed with pleasure. “Well, there’s right now?”

“True. I’m not complaining.” Shiro pulled Keith down as the other man gave a quiet protesting groan, letting Shiro use him as a pillow. He relaxed and stretched, looking out at their living room until his eyes settled on the flowers he’d found sitting in a vase on the table. They still smelled like honeysuckle. “Maybe we should invite Lance over for dinner sometime, the guy’s got to be lonely.”

“He’s lonely? What about-” Keith stopped with a frown. No, that was right. Lance was usually alone, he just hadn’t really noticed before. That was strange, Lance always liked to be the center of attention. “I guess you’re right.” He said with a sigh. “Even if he is annoying.”

“Awww, I knew you cared.”

“You take that back, Shirogane or so help me!” Keith warned as Shiro found his soft, vulnerable bits. He yelped as he was tickled, wrestling Shiro for revenge.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Pidge, can I get a coffee?” Keith asked as the young woman scrubbed at the front window, wiping away ink-stained handprints someone had left on the inside of the glass. Ever since the fog had rolled in, she’d been working hard to keep up with the orders as everyone used her store as the unofficial meeting place during the day. “You know, you really should get yourself an assistant or something, so you don’t have to do all the work yourself.”

“Tell me about it.” She huffed and set a cup gently down in front of Keith. “I don’t know what I was thinking opening this place by myself. Once the weather clears up, maybe I’ll take out an ad or something.”

“Yeah. Wish we had one of those local papers to set up your ads, but I’ll help you hang fliers around town if you’d like?” He offered, taking a sip and letting the caffeine sink into his bones.

“Yeah. Sure.” Pidge said, opened her mouth to say something then shook her head. As Keith fished around in his pocket for change, she came back with a second cup. “That one’s for Shiro.”

“I- he’s not-” Keith tried to explain, sputtered. Pidge continued to look completely unimpressed, so without another word, he handed over the payment for both drinks. “We’re going to walk up to town hall together.”

Pidge glanced up at the clock and snorted. “Most people don’t need an hour for a five-minute walk.”

Keith refused to dignify that with an answer, but Pidge laughed anyway. She walked him to the door, arms stretched above her head like she was trying to crack her back, but just two steps away from the exit, the temperature dropped. The world outside was blanketed in grey. Even at noon the streetlights were kept going. It felt like the fog had always been this heavy, but the chill still made the hairs on his arms stand on end. Tiny wisps crept under the door, as delicate as cigarette smoke but just as unmistakable.

“We’ll come by later, help you seal that up.” Keith mumbled. “You sure you don’t want to walk with us?”

“Yeah, mom’s still working in the back. We’ll head up together.” Pidge mumbled, kicking at a tendril of fog before it could curl into her store.

“Be careful, okay? I’ll look for you guys at the assembly.” Keith said, and she cracked a smile, holding the door open for him.

“I don’t know why we’re stressing so much. It’s not like anyone’s gotten hurt yet.” Pidge said, but she trailed off, uncertainly. Keith was almost sad to go.

He strolled through the town, and as he was turning the corner, Shiro slid into the space beside him.

Keith smiled, handing him the coffee cup.

“Did you come here alone?”

“Just from down the main road, it was okay.” Shiro said with a grateful smile and took a sip of his coffee. “I wanted to check on people before I came over.”

“Any trouble?” Keith felt a spark of worry, but Shiro shook his head and wrapped an arm around him until Keith relaxed.

“Nope, everyone’s ready for it. I even stopped by the post office, I think we’re doing pretty good.”

As the bells began to toll and the rest of the town sleepily filed from their homes to the town hall. One by one, the townsfolk gathered, and one by one they were counted. When all was said and done, they were pleased that they’d all found their way through the fog. 

The townsfolk milled about after they’d been counted, congratulating each other on another successful day in the fog before slowly wandering back out into the fog. Most headed towards the General Store, Pidge was in for another busy day. Shiro and Keith lingered, waving to their neighbors as the town hall emptied, enjoying the quiet moment with each other with their morning coffee.

Until the soft sound of crying broke their solitude.

Allura had waited until she was alone before breaking down, a worn book clasped to her chest as she cried.

The empty halls twisted it into something eerie. In the memory of where voices and applause rang, it was an otherworldly cry meant to summon those beyond its reach, but when they found Allura, she was devastated. Hidden in a quiet room, the door was locked but hastily shut and a good shove knocked it free. She froze when she saw them, hastily swiping at her eyes. There was something unnerving about seeing her like this, something that made Keith feel guilty and wrong. Her conviction had been a guiding light through their darker days. They closed the door behind them.

“This is- I’m such a mess, just let me…” She stumbled through an explanation, her voice a tired rasp, but when Shiro held his arms out for her, she collapsed into his embrace, hugging him as hard as she could. She cried like her heart had been broken, and Keith hated seeing her like this.

“I don’t know. I don’t know why I don’t know why it hurts so much.”

“It’s been hard on all of us, it’s okay. We can get through this.”

“I don’t know what’s  _wrong!”_

“Maybe it’s just the stress?” Shiro offered quietly as he let her sob until she was exhausted. She wiped her eyes, embarrassed to have been caught in a moment of weakness. “You’ve been doing so much and I know that everyone appreciates it. You’ve been holding us all together and we’re all okay, it’s fine to be overwhelmed.”

Allura took a shuddering breath and nodded. “I-, that must be it.” The mayor said. The fog was a heavy burden and even though her people were safe, it was a strain. She just didn’t know why it filled her with so much grief. She set the book she’d been carrying on a nearby table, trailing her fingers over the cover like it could tell her something.

“Ms. Mayor?” Keith asked and she straightened, putting herself back into place.

“I’m fine.” She said briskly. “A momentary lapse. I apologize that you had to see that.”

Shiro wasn’t having any of it. “We’re your friends, Allura. If you need us, you know we’re always here to help.”

She smiled, fragile and grateful, but with a core of steal. “Thank you, both of you. I appreciate it, but I’m okay now. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“You said the only way we’re going to get through this is if we work together,” Keith pointed out, and when she looked at him like that, his stomach still fluttered. He pulled her into a hug as well, trying to make it count for everything he could manage. They walked her out together, making small talk to distract her until she got to her car. It wasn’t until she’d driven away, with the promise to call that Keith realized she’d forgotten her book.

“Oh?” Shiro said, when Keith brought it up. “As long as it’s in her office, I’m sure no one’ll get to it. No one’s going to miss with Mayor Allura’s stuff.”

It was more than a give in. She was about as popular as a politician could be, but with the fog closing in, no one was eager to take her responsibilities away from her. All in all, Keith guessed it was just surprising she hadn’t broken down sooner.

“Yeah, what was it? The History of Architecture or something like that?” Shiro added, his lips pursed. “You know, when this is all over, I should talk to her about that. It’d be nice if the town had a library.”

Right now, they would have been happy if the fog retreated enough to see their town.

They walked back to Shiro’s house hand in hand, footsteps swallowed by the swirl of fog that surrounded them. It pressed in on all sides, wrapping itself around the pair, but they didn’t seem to notice. They shut the door and kept it out, filling their rooms with light and warmth.

They shared a meal and each other’s space, relaxing to the flicker of the tv. It didn’t take long until they were bonelessly happy, wrapped around each other on Shiro’s sagging couch. The lingering sadness that seemed to touch the town had no strength in this place. Shiro stole too many pillows and Keith defended his few fiercely as they laughed and tussled until they were both breathless.

Then Shiro kissed him, and Keith thought he’d never breathe again.

“I love you.” Shiro said, not for the very first time, but for the first time it meant something like this. “You’re my best friend. I think I’ve always loved you.”

Keith’s heart was going to burst.

They took their tumble to the bedroom, laughter turning to soft gasps and hands gentling in wonder. Keith fell asleep to sweet nothings, and dreamed about a world where the sun still shone.

 

* * *

 

He woke up smiling, body sweetly sore as he stretched himself back on the bed. When he left home, even the fog seemed less oppressive than normal. The heavy grey had lightened and Keith could almost see the light filtering through. The sun was trying to burn off the darkness and if he closed his eyes, Keith thought he could feel the heat of it on his skin.

Then the bells above town hall were ringing with a clarity so sharp it cut all the way to Keith’s bones and he was running before he could understand why, house slippers clapping across the pavement but he knew, he already knew before he even reached the square.

“The fog is lifting!” Someone was screaming, and the town roared in unison, a dozen coming alive like the buzzing of insects on the first spring day. It echoed down every sidewalk and every alley, whispered faster than even the wind could carry, and in the streets their was celebrations, a sense of relief so thick and so heady, Keith was nearly sick with it. Shay pulled him into a hug that lifted him off his feet, and little Mr. Ian jumped into his arms in the strangest embrace he’d had in a long time, and somewhere along the line Keith lost his slipper but he didn’t care. He didn’t care! He was already jogging home, eager to get his bike and get on that ride he’d been waiting on for days, weeks, months! (Months?)

But someone was screaming.

Someone was screaming.

Down the block to his home, his neighbors still laughing in the streets, someone was screaming, screaming in hysterics. Someone far away? No, behind him. Right behind him. Keith spun on his heel but the street was empty, the closest car down the road, turning into a side street but a cold sweat had broken down his neck and for a moment, all he could do was stare.

Slowly, carefully, he went back inside, dropping his one slipper on the beaten welcome mat. He past the coffee table with its empty mugs, and the sofa with still cocooned in blankets, walked up the stairs to the master bedroom. There were pictures on the walls, and too many clothes in the cupboards.

Something was wrong. This was the bed he’d woken up in, his coffee mug in the sink, his socks on the floor. He knew every inch of this place with ingrained familiarity, but it wasn’t his. This wasn’t his house, this wasn’t-

This wasn’t his.

The fog hadn’t taken anyone, they’d all been safe.

_How had he forgotten?_

The scream was gravel-rough and crumbled at its fringes, a wail of grief that barely sounded human. It had taken Keith too long to recognize his own voice.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Dans [here.](http://itdans.tumblr.com/)  
> Rune's tumblr is [here](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com/) and our joint twitter is [here.](http://twitter.com/runicscribbles)
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed! Come say hello. :)


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